yay Barb!!

and that was an article about romance writers that I wanted to read!

Following 45-minutes of hold time, the way to endear me to your bank is NOT putting me on hold several times more, coming back five times in between just to clarify a situation that I've explained about ten times now, and apparently being unable to apologise for the wrong statements OR to answer whether this might be a security risk OR to acknowledge that your statements are completely inaccessible to this particular dyslexic & dyspraxic customer.

Is it just the UK where customer service is going to hell in a tea kettle, or is it everywhere else too? I've had so many similar experiences recently.

*noises akin to those that might be inspired by strangulation*

(Not so much with the swearing, but with not patronizing businesses whose names contain deliberate misspellings, such as Kountry Kitchen.)

I love you a lot for this.

How old is she/how long has she been out of college? Because I did some *seriously* stupid shit in college that I'm not proud of now, and if that disqualified me as a potential long-term partner, I'd be living in a cave right now.

True. But it sounds like she said it with pride or indifference, not shame. When you talk about the time you did X, it's with a sheepish grin and an eyeroll at yourself, so the person knows that you know that you were a dumbass. It doesn't sound like that's what she did.

I could be wrong, but my impression from Omnis' post was that she WAS proud of it, which to me is a much bigger flag than her having done it in the first place.

good, not just me.

I've done *seriously* inappropriate shit that might lead people (apparently many Buffistas) to consider I lack ethics and integrity.

but you characterize it as inappropriate, which means that you recognize that it's negative behavior.

Sure, I did things I would never do today, but it doesn't mean I don't sometimes still get a laugh out of them recounting the tales.

yes, but you tell the story in such a way that it's clear that you know that you shouldn't have done it, right?

Is it just the UK where customer service is going to hell in a tea kettle, or is it everywhere else too?

It's everywhere. Or at least in the US too.

Except we here in the US don't go to hell in a tea kettle. We go to hell in a bucket.

Speak for yourself. I go to hell in a handbasket, or occasionally on I-40.

I mostly go to hell via the M1 through central London. There's a portal at junction 29 just south of Leeds.

neocon? barooo?

wOOt barb!

Barb gets name-checked in this Wired article.

And picture-checked! Cool!

Hee! Isn't that a gas? What a fun article! Thanks, Tom, for pointing it out.

yes, but you tell the story in such a way that it's clear that you know that you shouldn't have done it, right?

Yeah, that's probably true.

Omnis, she doesn't sound like long term relationship material, but I still say kiss the girl. Snogging is good.

I'd disagree with this. If you're not into her it's better not to lead her on. Although it's true that snogging is good!